


Finding Home

by scrappylittlegleek



Series: The Value Of Love [3]
Category: Supergirl (Comics), Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, F/F, Flashbacks, Lena Luthor Needs a Hug, Lena Luthor-centric, Lena is a wine mom, Mom!Lena, Panic Attacks, Parent Lena Luthor, Protective Lena Luthor, Sad Lena Luthor, Separation Anxiety, mentions of child abuse, trigger warning for
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2021-02-07 06:41:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21453682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scrappylittlegleek/pseuds/scrappylittlegleek
Summary: Lena has everything planned out. She's going to be taking over as CEO of Luthor Corp, she's living on her own with hope for the future, and for once, she's happy. She finally feels like she's on the right track.That is, until, she gets a call from Winn Schott, a social worker who tells her she has a nine-year-old niece who's going to be placed in foster care unless Lena would rather take her in.Somehow, Lena becomes a parent overnight.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Series: The Value Of Love [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1285970
Comments: 10
Kudos: 88





	Finding Home

**Author's Note:**

> Hey!  
I wrote and posted this a while ago as a prequel to my fic The Value of Love. I deleted it a few weeks ago but I'm in the process of rewriting it since I've been missing this story a lot. I really hope you guys like it, and I'm so sorry for taking so many of my pieces down.
> 
> Also, I've included trigger warnings in the tags, but I'll also put them in the author's notes section of the chapters they correlate to.

“Well, how am I supposed to prepare for the arrival of a child in less than twelve hours?”

“Miss. Luthor-- I understand this is inconvenient but it’s either this or she gets put back in the system,” Winn Schott, the social worker Lena had been arguing with for the past fifteen minutes countered.

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. What did he expect her to say? It wasn’t like she could tell him to place an innocent child with a family she’d never met before. After all, she’d been through she deserved a safe home with someone who would care and look out for her-- every kid did. Granted she’d never met the little girl he was speaking of, but no kid should have to worry about whether or not the people who were supposed to love them cared at all about what happened to them. 

It was just that Lena hadn’t even known Lex had had a daughter. She hadn’t ever thought about his romantic life she’d been so wrapped up in the dozen murders he committed. But now she was being told there was a little girl, a little girl related to Lex-- related to _ Lena _ that she would be responsible for if she said yes. 

“Miss. Luthor, I’m sorry but you really need to make a decision.”

“Mr. Schott, I’m supposed to be taking over as CEO of Luthor Corp _ next week, _ I can’t just take in a child-- one that I’ve never even met, especially on such short notice,” Lena closed her eyes and inhaled sharply. 

“Yes-- I know how terrible that sounded,” she let out a dry laugh and shook her head. She really sounded like a Luthor now. 

“But you have to understand, what you’re asking me to do it-- it’s insane!”

Maybe if she’d actually been able to _ meet _the child she would be more enthusiastic about taking her in, or maybe if she’d had more than a couple of minutes to process everything she would’ve been a little more comfortable with the situation. But she didn’t have this luxury, and now she had to make a choice; take in a stranger because she happened to be her niece, or let her go to another foster family.

“I know it’s a huge thing to ask-- but just consider it. She’s nine years old, she has no older siblings that can look after her and no other aunts and uncles. She only has one grandparent and we weren't able to get in touch with her,” Winn said.

Lena felt her chest tighten at the mention of her mother. She couldn’t let this child go live with Lillian. After everything she had suffered at the hands of her mother, Lena wouldn’t let another little girl go through the same. It didn’t matter that she was a stranger anymore. Consciously sending her to endure the same pain and abuse she had would be pure evil. 

“What’s her name again?” Lena asked.

“Lorelai, but she goes by Lori.”

Lena drew in a breath. She was about to make possibly the biggest decision of her entire life without even taking a minute to think it through. She was about to let a child into her life, a little girl who she knew absolutely nothing about other than her nickname and age who was somehow related to her. She was about to change her life; for better or for worse. 

“And what time can you bring her by?” Lena asked and bit her lip.

“Sometime before noon tomorrow,” Winn responded.

“Okay,” Lena breathed. She could do this. She could make it work, right? “And this… arrangement, it’s only temporary? Once her mom gets her act together she’ll go back?”

“That’s the plan,” Winn replied, just a little too cheerfully. “The goal with kids in situations like Lori’s is just to keep them in a temporary home until their parents are ready to handle having a kid again.” 

Lena nodded once more. It would just be for a few weeks, maybe months at the longest, and then she could get back to her life.

“And what if her mom isn’t able to get her act together? If she can’t get sober, then what happens?”

She knew it was a rather blunt thing to say, but she had to know. She seemed to be plagued with bad luck, so she had to think about what was going to happen on the off chance Lori’s mother never got better.

“We would wait for openings in foster homes in the area, and you would be able to decide if you want to keep fostering her, or you can request she be moved to another home. But if we reach a point where there is no chance of Lori getting to go back to her mom, you could always adopt her, however, it’s unlikely that’ll happen,” Winn explained.

Lena exhaled and took it all in. She hadn’t thought about an adoption-- she hadn’t even thought about fostering. She hadn’t planned on having kids until she was married and at a point in her career where it wouldn’t be so hard to juggle anything. And even then, she wasn't too sure if she wanted to be a mom or not. 

Kids were like little sponges, they absorb everything, even the things one would assume they’d miss. Lena still struggled to cope with everything her parents had inflicted on her. Most days, she still believed she was worthless, she still felt like a failure. Everything she did, she was constantly plagued with thoughts of how it wouldn’t have been enough in Lillian’s eyes. Nothing she did would ever be enough. If Lena had children of her own one day she knew there was a very real chance that she’d end up hurting them just as badly as Lillian and Lionel hurt her. Up until now, she hadn’t been sure if she was even willing to consider taking that chance. 

“So… I’ll be bringing her by tomorrow?” Winn asked hesitantly.

“I guess so,” Lena said softly. 

_ You aren’t Lex, you aren’t as bad as him. You won’t hurt her, just treat her the way you wish Lillian would’ve treated you. _

“Alright, I’ll see you then.” 

As soon as she hung up the phone, Lena grabbed her wallet, keys, and purse and all but sprinted to her car. She drove way above the speed limit to the nearest Pottery Barn Kids then her last resort, IKEA. Having less than twenty-four hours to childproof her house was nothing short of terrifying, which meant buying out every furniture store within a fifty-mile radius did not seem like a knee jerk reaction. 

Lena bought almost everything in sight, unsure of what her niece would need and what she would already have. It also didn’t help that she had no idea what types of things nine-year-old girls liked, so she decided to play it safe and get everything in sight. Lena didn’t bother to check the price tag of most of the items, she had too many other things to worry about.

Like how was she supposed to introduce herself? It wasn’t like she could just say ‘_ Hi, I’m your aunt and I didn’t know you existed until yesterday, but now we’re living together! Do you want some lunch? _’

So Lena proceeded to contemplate every possible scenario and every imaginable problem that could arise as she attempted to assemble the new furniture.

After successfully putting together a desk and chair, chest of drawers, a nightstand, and half a bed, Lena was ready to give up. She was sure at least two pieces of furniture were going to fall apart within the next week, and she wasn’t even sure what to do with the bed. Sure, she was an engineer or whatever but the instructions were in German and she’d already cried twice because she’d lost her screwdriver and one of the hinges on the dresser had mysteriously gone missing so finishing the bed seemed like testing her luck. So after lots of contemplation and a glass of wine, Lena decided to shrug it off for now and call someone to assemble it tomorrow.

Instead, she dragged Lori’s mattress out of its box and covered it with a fitted sheet, regular sheet, and blanket before organizing a few pillows so the room looked somewhat presentable when her niece came. Then once she was done, she decided it would be best to try to go to bed early so she appeared prepared when Lori arrived.

However, Lena should’ve known by now that getting a goods night's sleep wasn’t going to work while she was filled with this many nerves. She stayed up until an ungodly hour of the night, her mind overflowing with thoughts.

At first, they weren’t too bad. 

She tried to imagine what Lori was going to look like. But then she started thinking about herself at age ten, and how Lillian had put her on a special diet so she would lose her baby fat quicker. Her skin had become grown pale and her hair had started thinning. It only stopped when she passed out during the running portion of her fifth-grade fitness exam and was rushed to the hospital. Thinking about someone else going through something even remotely similar made Lena feel sick to her stomach.

At some point, Lena wandered into the kitchen and sat down with her laptop. She scrolled through emails and rearranged her schedule for next week. She felt her breath catch in her throat when a new notification popped up from Winn, a reminder that Lori was going to be dropped by in a few hours. 

Lena looked up and around her, the sun had risen and the light was pooling in through her floor to ceiling windows. She hadn’t even noticed the orange tint in the sky or how it reflected against her computer screen. Even the email from Winn wasn’t enough to make her believe it. It was only once she checked her watch, then the oven clock, and the microwave clock that the fact that it was the morning began to set in. 

A surge of panic ran through Lena’s body, enough to eliminate the need for coffee, and she ran back to her bedroom. Lena frantically brushed and straightened her hair before searching for the right outfit. One that made her look inviting and welcoming, like she totally knew how to properly care for a kid. And once she was sure she looked alright, she last minute decided to clean her apartment.

Her penthouse was nearly spotless, but Lena couldn’t stop herself. She was filled with nerves-- enough to make her take an extra dosage of her anxiety medication. She needed something to do with her hands, and she needed to be productive. So she cleaned. And before she knew it, there was a knock on her apartment door.

She dropped her sponge at the sound and ran to the other end of her apartment. This was it, there was no turning back now. Behind that door was the little girl that would change her life forever.

She took one last deep breath and wiped her sweaty palms against her pants, it was all so real. In an instant, she was going to have a child. She was going to be responsible for a life that wasn’t her own, a living breathing tiny human. It all felt so surreal, so scary. But Lena was a Luthor after all, and Luthor’s face their fears.

She held her breath as she opened the door, revealing Winn and a very timid looking girl.

It was Lori. And she looked just like Lex. 

She had big round blue eyes that were filled with fear. Her skin was pale and covered in scrapes and bruises that were just barely hidden by her baggy, oversized clothing which reeked of cigarette smoke. In one hand, Lori had a black trash bag that she gripped so tightly her knuckles were turning white. Lena didn’t have to ask to know all of her belongings had been stuffed in there.

Lena felt her breath catch in her throat at the sight, her heart began to ache and she had to remind herself not to stare. Lori was frightened enough, she couldn’t let herself come off as judgemental. 

“Hey, would you like to come in?” Lena said with as much strength as she could muster.

Winn stepped into the large apartment and walked into the living room, Lori following a few steps behind them.

“Would you guys like anything to drink?” Lena offered, unsure of what the protocol was in situations like this.

“I’m fine, thank you,” Winn said with a grin. “Lori, do you want anything?”

Lori stayed silent. Instead, she looked around the apartment and took in the space around her. Lena couldn’t tell if it was out of amazement or fear, or a mixture of the two.

“Would you like to give Lori a tour, and then you can get started on the paperwork?” Winn suggested. 

Lena gave a small smile and nodded. “Yeah… that sounds good,” she said and took a cautious step closer to Lori. 

“Do you mind if I show you around?” 

Lori shrugged. 

Upon closer inspection, Lena was able to see the smaller details. Like how her hair looked like it hadn’t been brushed in weeks. And how the corner of her bottom lip was painted over in dried blood. Her sneakers looked to be at least a size too small, and they were being held together with duct tape.

Lena was doing her best not to stare, but she couldn’t help herself. Lori looked so terrified, and despite the scent she gave off, Lena wanted to wrap her in a big hug and tell her it would all be okay.

Lori trailed behind her as she showed her around the apartment. Her eyes widened when Lena opened the door to the pantry and told her she could take whatever snacks she wanted, and she wouldn’t even have to ask. Their final stop was Lori’s bedroom, which Lori wouldn’t even step inside until Lena gave her the okay.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t able to put the bed together yet but I called a guy and he’s coming tomorrow to fix it,” Lena said with a nervous smile.

Lori nodded slowly as she looked around. Lena wasn’t sure what to make of her blank expression, but she figured it was better than the fearful one she wore earlier.

Once they were done with the tour, Lena took a seat in the living room and filled out what felt like hours of paperwork. Though secretly, she wished it would never end, because when it did, Winn would leave and she would be all alone with Lori.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like her. She already felt so much sympathy for everything Lori had been through, even if she didn’t know the details. She wanted to protect her from any harm that could be thrown her way, she knew that much. She just didn’t know how. She didn’t know how to talk to a child, especially one like Lori. All she could do was hope it wouldn’t all go to hell once Winn left.

But before she knew it, she was done with all of her forms and files, which she handed back to the social worker. He told her to call if she had any questions then left before Lena could even take a minute to fully process what was about to happen. 

“I need to go home, I forgot my sweater,” Lori said as soon as he was gone. Her voice was quiet and raspy like she hadn’t spoken in a few days.

At first, Lena was flooded with relief. Upon meeting the girl, she’d had started to wonder if she even _ could _talk. But now she was beginning to realize she was going to have to break the news she couldn’t go home, and she would probably have to explain this entire situation to her.

“I’m sorry, you can’t go home,” Lena said sympathetically. “But we can buy you a new one if you’d like?”

“I-- I need to go get it,” Lori said urgently. “It-- its un- under my bed.”

Lena sighed and shook her head. “I’m so sorry, but I’m not allowed to take you home.”

“But I _ need _to go home.”

Lena patted the spot on the couch next to her and gestured for Lori to sit next to her, but Lori didn’t pick up on her cue. It was only once Lena asked her to sit that Lori did, but kept as much distance between the two as possible.

“Lori… has anyone really told you what’s going on?” Lena asked hesitantly, and Lori shook her head.

“I-- I know you’re my-- my aunt,” she said quietly, the corners of her lips pulling down into a frown.

Lena nodded with a gentle smile. “That’s right, you’re going to be staying with me for a little while. Just until your mom is ready to take care of you again.”

“They said that last time though,” Lori’s voice broke. “That I’d go back when it got better. Why isn’t it getting better?” 

“I don’t know, but I promise, you’re going to be okay.” 

* * *

After their talk, Lori stayed silent for the rest of the day. She didn’t ask for anything and she didn’t show signs of wanting snacks or anything to drink, even though Lena could hear her stomach rumbling. However, they had dinner, Lori only ate a small portion. And every time she went to take a bite, she made sure Lena was eating too. 

Once the dishes were washed and it was starting to get late, Lena told Lori she should take a shower, which Lori didn’t complain about. But when Lena showed her how to turn the water on and off, Lori just looked at the shampoo and conditioner bottles in the shower rack with eyes full of confusion. When she pointed to them, Lena explained what they were, and what order to use them in. 

Lena couldn’t even imagine the kind of parent that would let their kid grow up not even knowing what shampoo and conditioner were. 

At least Lori was willing to learn though, she had to remind herself. At least things hadn’t started to get that hard yet. 

* * *

It didn’t start until Lena had tucked Lori into bed, or at least attempted to. She opted for smiling and telling Lori goodnight after Lori refused to let Lena stand within two feet of her. Lena didn’t mind, of course, she understood Lori was going through a rough transition. So she obliged.

Once Lori was in bed, she wandered back into her living room and decided to pick up on some work for when she took over Luthor Corp. Just replanning out things she’d have to work around now that she had a kid. However, it didn’t take long before she heard it.

At first, Lena wasn’t sure what it was she was hearing. She closed her laptop and slowly walked over to Lori’s bedroom as quietly as she could. She hovered outside, keeping the door closed so Lori would stay unaware of her lurking. 

As soon as she pressed her ear against the door, Lena knew exactly what she was hearing.

It started off with little sniffles and heavy, strained breaths. Then there were the choked back sobs that Lori was trying to hold back. 

The sound of Lori in distress weighed on Lena’s chest like bricks, and before she could stop herself, instinct took over. She opened the door just slightly. The hinges creaked which made Lena cringe.

Light spilled into Lori’s darkroom, and Lori sat up quickly and turned to Lena. Her eyes were red from crying and her cheeks were flushed pink. She looked so small and helpless, it broke Lena’s heart.

“Lori, are you alright?” She asked tentatively.

Lori wrapped her arms around herself and let out a sob. “I wanna go home,” she sobbed.

Lena flicked the light on and moved in closer. She noticed the spot on Lori’s lip had started to bleed again. She must’ve been picking at it.

“I know, and I’m sorry, but it’ll get better, I promise,” Lena said softly.

“No, it won’t!” Lori yelled. 

Tears began to bubble in Lena’s eyes out of sadness and uncertainty. Lori deserved better than this, she deserved so much more. 

“I want my mom, I wanna go home,” Lori wailed and punched her mattress angrily. “Why did you take me away? I just wanna go home!”

Lena sighed and shook her head. “I know, and you’re gonna go home soon I--”

“Why are you doing this to me?” Lori sobbed. “Why won’t you let me go home?”

Lena bit her lip. She didn’t know. She didn’t know why she’d agreed to any of it. All she knew was that it was just so much so fast, and she wasn’t sure if either of them would ever be able to get used to it.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to give me your opinions, I love getting feedback.  
Or come yell at me on my tumblr- @Godhatesoliviaa


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